Pelmeni - Russian Ravioli

Pelmeni - Пельмени - and Vareniki is the best fastfood you will find. Both are basically a filling made out of meat or potatoes wrapped in a dough and boiled, so they’re like Russian ravioli.

You can buy frozen pelmeni in any supermarket (the higher the price, the better is the quality), put it into the boiling water for 10 minutes (till they float up), add some butter, smetana (thick sour cream), salt, pepper, dill and you’ve got a very solid and delicious meal for the day.

Pelmeni communicate to us something that is warm and all-embracing. The softness of the meat, the tenderness of the sour cream, the strong tastes of the wrapped insides create that unique Russian “nadryv” — torn-in-between the- extremities sensation inside one’s gut flora which is then transmitted directly into the brain.

To make your own Pelmeni can be a great social experience. First make a simple dough using a glass of flour and a glass of salted warm water. Roll it into a flat piece and let it wait for a bit.

In the meanwhile make the filling: mince your own meat (400 grams), add 1 thinly sliced onion, salt and pepper, maybe even a bit of milk, mix everything together.

Take the dough, cut out small circles from it using a glass, put the filling inside and wrap each of them well. You can then cook pelmeni directly (boil them till they float up) or freeze them up for future use.

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